The Accademia del Profumo has announced the finalist fragrances for its 2026 edition in Milan, which will award launches from the year 2025. This award, a benchmark in the industry, highlights creativity in perfumery across several categories. A new addition is introduced for this edition: the Lifestyle category, which aims to reflect current market trends. The final ceremony will take place at the Teatro alla Scala in September 2026.
Methodology and transparency in the selection process 🧐
The selection process combines several phases to ensure a balanced outcome. A quality jury conducts a pre-selection, followed by a broad nominations jury. Subsequently, there is a public voting period between April and June 2026. The final decision rests with specialized juries: a technical one for the perfume categories and a VIP one for the best communication award. The entire process is ISO 9001 certified, guaranteeing traceability and transparency.
The VIP jury and the art of smelling with the eyes 👁️
While the technical jury analyzes olfactory pyramids and raw materials, the VIP jury evaluates the best communication. That is, their task is to decide which perfume sells best without necessarily smelling it. A pure marketing exercise where a pretty bottle and an attractive slogan can carry as much weight as the scent itself. A category that recognizes, with irony, that sometimes we buy the bottle and the story, not just what's inside.